Collapsible tube valve cap means



1957 N. J. VURDELJA 2,808,971

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE VALVE CAP MEANS Filed Sept. 26, 1955 [NI/ENTOR.Mc'fiozAs J VUQD EL JA W1 In e55 ATTORNEY United States Patent OCOLLAPSIBLE TUBE VALVE CAP MEANS Nicholas J. Vurdelja, Des Moines, HowaApplication September 26, 1955, Serial No. 536,417

3 Claims. (Cl. 222-548) Thisinvention relates to collapsible tube capmeans and more particularly to a means for valving the flowable materialfrom the tube.

Collapsible tubes are universally used as containers for tooth paste,shaving cream, salve, paint, jelly, paste, glue and like. Many suchitems as tooth paste are used by an individual at least once each day.These tubes have a threaded orifice with a detachable cap threadedthereon. Obviously each time the tube is used the cap must be removed,laid aside, the required material squeezed from the tube, and then thecap replaced by being screwed back onto the tube. This procedure is notonly a waste of time, but at least a certain amount of skill andattention must be given to start the threading of the cap back onto thetube. Also the use of both hands is required. A still further objectionto the usual common tube cap is that it often becomes dropped or lostafter its removal from its tube. All such caps must be given severalcomplete revolutions relative to the tube for both removal andreplacement.

Therefore, one of the principal objects of my invention is to provide avalve cap means for collapsible tubes that is never removed from thetube upon which it functions.

A further object of this invention is to provide a material tube capvalve means that requires only a one-half revolution from full open to acomplete closed position.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a valve cap meansfor collapsible tubes that is yieldingly held in a closed condition.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a valve cap meansfor collapsible tubes that when material is forced through the same willhave a flat bottom and in cross-section a rounded top.

Still further objects of my invention are to provide a valve cap meansfor tubes that is economical in manufacture, durable in use, and refinedin appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangements, andcombination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objectscontemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth,specifically pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of my tube cap means,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of my valve cap means in an opencondition,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section view of the cap per se,

Fig. 4 is a side view of the tube neck or orifice with the cap removed,

Fig. 5 is an end view of the tube with the cap removed, and more fullyillustrates its construction,

Fig. 6 is an end view of the tube with its cap in open position, and

Fig. 7 is an end View of the device with the cap rotated to a closedposition.

in these drawings I have used the numeral 10 to desig- 2,808,971Patented Oct. 8, 7

nate an ordinary collapsible material holding tube having a tubular neckor orifice projection 11. Ordinarily this portion 11 is threaded to takea screw cap. In my structure this portion 11 is not threaded but doeshave a peripheral groove 12 as shown in Fig. 4. This groove 12 extendssubstantially one half around the neck 11 and decreases in width as itapproaches its right end. The free end of the neck is closed except foran outlet opening 13. The outer side of this opening is adjacent theperiphery of the neck, is arcuate to conform thereto, and has its innerside straight, as shown in Fig. 5. This straight side of the opening isshort of the dead center of the end of the neck. The numeral 14designates a bathe fill inside the neck and which extends from theinside back portion'of the neck forwardly and inwardly to the straightside of the neck outlet opening, as shown in Fig. 2. This bafile has aflat surface terminating in common with the straight side of the outletopening and aids and guides the passage of material through the neck,and out the opening 13.

I have used the numeral 15 to generally designate my cap, which is inthe shape of an inverted cup and is of such size as to rotatably embracethe neck 11. On the inside of the wall of the cap is a lug 16 slidablyextending into the groove 12. This projection 16 may be formed by anysuitable means such as crimping, casting, or pinning. Its size is suchas to freely slide in the groove 12 except near the right end of thegroove where it decreases in width. Thus, as the cap is rotated to theright and as it approaches a closed position, as shown in Fig. 7, theprojection 16 will become yieldingly wedged in the groove, therebysuccessfully holding the cap against accidental rotation from a closedposition. The end of the cap is closed except for an outlet opening 17.This opening also has its outer side circular to conform with theperiphery of the cap and its inner side straight as shown in Fig. 6.This fiat side is short of the dead center of the cap. The opening 17conforms in size and shape to the opening 13, and registers with theopening when the cap is manually rotated to the left relative to thetube. When in such a position, and the tube is squeezed, the materialtherein will be forced through the openings 13 and 17 and upon exitingwill have a shape similar to that of the openings, i. e., the materialwill have a flat straight bottom for engagement upon a toothbrush orlike, and its upper surface will be circular in cross section. To openthe cap valve means the cap was manually rotated a one-half revolutionto the left. To close the valve cap means, the cap is manually rotatedone-half revolution to the right. Therefore, the opening and closing ofthe unit is most rapid. When the unit is in a closed condition, theopening 17 will not be in register with the opening 13, but will beadjacent the enclosed end portion of the neck and the opening 13 will beadjacent the closed end area of the cap, as shown in Fig. 7. Ohviously,the cap is permanently secured onto the tube neck and can never becomelost therefrom.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of mycollapsible tube valve cap means without departing from the real spiritand purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by myclaims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalentswhich may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a tubular neck, an end portion onsaid neck having an opening at one side of its dead center, a cup caprotatably embracing said neck and having an opening in its bottomcapable of registering with the opening in said end portion when rotatedin one direction, a groove in the outer side of said neck having itswidth decreased near one of its ends,

and a projection on the inner wall of said cap slidably extending intosaid groove and dimensioned to be frictionally wedged in said groovewhen said cap is rotated in a direction to bring said projection intothe decreased width area of said groove. V v

2. In a device of the class described, a tubular neck, an end portion onsaid neck having an opening at one side of its dead center, a cup caprotatably embracing said neck and having an opening in its bottomcapable of registering with the opening in said end portion when rotatedin one direction, a groove in the 'outer'side of said neck having itswidth decreased near one of its ends, a projection on the inner wail ofsaid cap slidably extending into said groove and dimensioned to befrictionally wedged in said groove when said cap is rotated in adirection to bring said projection into the decreased Width area of saidgroove, and a material guiding ibaffie inside said neck; said neckadapted to be part of a collapsible material tube.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,152,817 Hyatt Sept. 7, 1915 1,883,534 Burke Oct. 18, 1932 2,026,832Henderson Ian. 7, 1936 2,138,992 Baker ...Dec, 6, 1938 2,695,111 VossNov. 23, 1954

